fo freely to cenfure it. And I wish there were no other inftance of what I have too frequently obferved, that many of that reverend body are not always very nice in diftinguishing between their enemies and their friends.

Had the author's intentions met with a more candid interpretation from fome, whom out of refpect he forbears to name, he might have been encouraged to an examination of books written by fome of thofe authors above defcribed; whofe errors, ignorance, dulnefs, and villainy, he thinks he could have detected and expofed in fuch a manner, that the perfons who are most conceived to be infected by them, would foon lay them afide and be afhamed. But he has now given over thofe thoughts; fince the weightiest men * in the weightieft ftations, are pleased to think it a more dangerous point, to laugh at those corruptions in religion which they themselves must difapprove, than to endeavour pulling up thofe very foundations wherein all Chriftians have agreed.

He thinks it no fair proceeding, that any perfon fhould offer determinately to fix a name upon the author of this difcourfe, who hath all along concealed himfelf from moft of his nearest friends: Yet feveral have gone a farther ftep, and pronounced another book + to have been the work of the fame hand with this; which the author directly

Alluding to Dr Sharp, the Archbishop of York's reprefen

tation of the author. Hawkef-worth.

Letter concerning Enthusiasm.

directly affirms to be a thorough mistake, he having yet never fo much as read that difcourfe : A plain instance how little truth there often is in general furmifes, or in conjectures drawn from a fimilitude of style, or way of thinking.

Had the author written a book to expose the abuses in law, or in phyfic, he believes the learned profeffors in either faculty would have been fo far from refenting it, as to have given him thanks for his pains; efpecially if he had made an honourable refervation for the true practice of either fcience. But religion, they tell us, ought not to be ridiculed; and they tell us truth: Yet furely the corruptions in it may; for we are taught by the triteft maxim in the world, that religion being the beft of things, its corruptions are likely to be the worst.

There is one thing which the judicious reader cannot but have obferved, that fome of thofe paffages in this difcourfe which appear most liable to objection, are what they call parodies, where the author perfonates the ftyle and manner of other writers, whom he has a mind to expofe. I thall produce one inftance; it is towards the end of the Introduction. Dryden, L'Eftrange, and fome others I fhall not name, are here leveled at; who, having spent their lives in faction and apoftafies, and all manner of vice, pretended to be fufferers for loyalty and religion. So Dryden tells us, in one of his prefaces, of his merits and fufferings; thanks God, that he pof

feffes

feffes his foul in patience; in other places he talks at the fame rate; and L'Eftrange often ufes the like ftyle; and I believe the reader may find more perfons to give that paffage an application. But this is enough to direct thofe who may have overlooked the author's intention.

There are three or four other paffages, which prejudiced or ignorant readers have drawn by great force to hint at ill meanings; as if they glanced at fome tenets in religion. In anfwer to all which, the author folemnly protests he is entirely innocent; and never had it once in his thoughts, that any thing he faid would in the leaft be capable of fuch interpretations; which he will engage to * deduce full as fairly from the most innocent book in the world. And it will be obvious to every reader, that this was not any part of his fcheme or defign; the abuses he notes, being fuch as all Church-of-England men agree in: Nor was it proper for his fubject to meddle with other points, than fuch as have been perpetually controverted fince the Reformation.

To inftance only in that paffage about the three wooden machines mentioned in the introduction: In the original manufcript there was a defcription of a fourth, which thofe, who had the papers in their power, blotted out, as having fomething in it of fatire, that, I fuppofe, they thought was too particular; and therefore they were forced to change it to the number three; from whence fome have endeavoured to fqueeze out a dange

rous

And

rous meaning, that was never thought on. indeed the conceit was half spoiled, by changing the numbers; that of four being much more cabalistic, and therefore better expofing the pretended virtue of numbers; a fuperftition there intended to be ridiculed.

Another thing to be obferved, is, that there generally runs an irony through the thread of the whole book; which the men of taste will obferve and diftinguish, and which will render fome objections, that have been made, very weak and infignificant.

This apology being chiefly intended for the fatisfaction of future readers, it may be thought unneceffary to take any notice of fuch treatifes as have been written against the enfuing difcourfe; which are already funk into wafte-paper and oblivion, after the ufual fate of common anfwerers to books which are allowed to have any merit. They are indeed like annuals, that grow about a young tree, and feem to vie with it for a fummer; but fall and die with the leaves in autumn, and are never heard of any more. When Dr Echard writ his book about the contempt of the clergy, numbers of thofe anfwerers immediately started up, whofe memory if he had not kept alive by his replies, it would now be utterly unknown, that he were ever answered at all. There is indeed an exception, when any great genius thinks it worth his while to expofe a foolish piece.

So

So we ftill read Marvel's anfwer to Parker * with pleasure, though the book it anfwers be funk long ago; fo the Earl of Orrery's remarks will be read with delight, when the differtation he expofes will neither be fought nor found t. But these are no enterprises for common hands, nor to be hoped for above once or twice in an age. Men would be more cautious of lofing their time in fuch an undertaking, if they did but confider, that to anfwer a book effectually, requires more pains and fkill, more wit, learning and judgment, than were employed in the writing it. And the author affures those gentlemen, who have given themselves that trouble with him, that his difcourfe is the product of the ftudy, the obfervation, and the invention of feveral years; that he often blotted out much more than he left; and, if his papers had not been a long time out of his poffeffion, they must have ftill undergone more fevere corrections. And do they think fuch a building is to be battered with dirt-pellets, however invenomed the mouths may be that discharge them? He hath feen the productions but of two anfwerers; one of which at first appeared as from an unknown

hand,

*Parker, afterwards Bishop of Oxford, wrote many treatifes against the diffenters, with infolence and contempt, fays Burnet, that enraged them beyond meafure; for which he was chaftifed by Andrew Marvel, under-fecretary to Milton, in a little book called, The Rehearsal tranfprofed. Hawkef.

+ Boyle's remarks upon Bentley's differtation on the epiftles of Phalaris. Hawkef.